Glazing guarantee
zahrabell
Forumite 13 Posts
I'm having issues with 2 doors that were installed 5 years ago. The joiner has since gone bust and the window suppliers say there is nothing they can do as their warranty only applies to the joiner not mr. Is this right?
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If you have a warranty, what does it say?
What are the issues with the doors? After 5 years they might only need minor adjustments which you can do yourself.
These are above and beyond your statutory rights and so are as generous or limited as their terms state. The better ones are insurance backed so no matter who goes bust the cover persists (FSCS steps in if the insurer disappears) but many are the vendor or manufacturer and so if they go under the warranty goes with them.
Your reference to 'joiner' suggests that these are wooden doors. Are they exterior doors? Exterior doors need regular maintenance. What maintenance instructions were you given? 5 years is ample time for a door to warp if it is not maintained correctly.
It's hard to be sure but it looks as though the window company might have subcontracted the joiner to fit the doors, so your claim would be against the window company. Could you be a little more explicit about how you paid (did you pay two separate amounts?) and about what the warranty says? For instance it is quite possible that the warranty only covers the windows.
However, independently of any warranty you do have some consumer rights. What outcome are you seeking? Do you want someone to straighten the door or do you want a refund? After 5 years any refund would only be a small fraction of the original cost.
I contracted the original joiner/company to fit windows and doors. He has since vanished. He bought the items from the glazing company on my behalf.
Composite doors are generally considered amongst the best in terms of strength, durability & longevity. They will often, therefore, come with a nice long guarantee. Do the suppliers have a website? If so, what do they state in terms of a warranty for these doors? Surely it's at least 5years? If so, then in theory 'all' you'd have to do is to 'prove' (ie with an independent surveyor) that the door itself was faulty, and not the installation. If you can do this, then you should be able to get a replacement door from the manufacturer, but would have to pay to have it installed. Even if a little out of warranty, I would suggest that a decent composite door (how much did the door itself cost?) should last way over 5 years, so very good chance you may be covered by the CRA.
The PVC door might actually be a simpler case. If an indie surveyor can confirm what your other installer suggested - the door is incorrectly sized for its frame - then this must surely have been the case from manufacture; it was always faulty, and was supplied like this. In which case, I'd suggest the CRA might be on your side again. (If the PVC door and frame were supplied as one matching unit). Again, if you 'win', you'd almost certainly have to pay for the old one to be removed and replacement fitted.
Wow, you have been unlucky with your doors
Do you have Legal protection included with your house insurance? If yes, great - call them up and they'll guide you. If not, go to CAB, and ask there. Be armed with the precise info, and what your 'case' is; the details and situation of each door.
Do the manufacturers have a website? Could you point us to it?
They have a 10 year warranty.
It was a fiasco from start to finish really.
New doors and windows were ordered
Firstly the 4 frosted windows and frosted door were all different glass.
Then discovered 2 windows were the wrong size. Joiner error or company error I dont know. Then 1 window glass had to be replaced as it had marks inside of the unit. Then had to be replaced again as it had a flaw!
It really was a comedy of errors.
Now the joiner/fitter has vanished and cant be traced.
Someone told me that as it's a rosewood door, the sun can warp them. Unsure how true that is but if it is then surely others have had this issue also.
My insurance has legal cover. I have full comprehension insurance.
I just feel that as an end user there must be something I can do.
A warranty should be passed to owner not fitter. What if he had died? Then I would have no rights which seems wrong